On 50th Anniversary of Disastrous and Fatal 1964 Flood, Clackamas County Campaigns for Greater Flood Awareness

December marks the 50th anniversary of the Christmas Flood of 1964, during which extensive flooding of local rivers and waterways washed away more than 100 homes and businesses. The flooding resulted in 17 Oregonian lives lost and approximately $1.1 billion of damage, in today's dollars, throughout the northwest and California.

In Clackamas County, 155 homes were completely lost in the upper Sandy River Basin and scores of others were destroyed or incurred significant damage throughout the County.

Clackamas County is releasing two documentaries that capture the devastation brought to our region by multiple flooding events during the last 50 years. These videos, which respectively showcase the damage inflicted at the upper Sandy River Basin and the confluence of the Willamette and Clackamas Rivers, are publicly available for viewing on Clackamas County’s YouTube channel.

The videos are available to all media outlets for embedding. Clackamas County can also provide different file types to media outlets upon request to be used at any time, provided proper attribution.

The Clackamas County Department of Emergency Management has updated its webpage, on which citizens can access a litany of information to better prepare themselves specifically for flooding events and find out about available resources.

The page, found at http://www.clackamas.us/emergency/flooding.html, details how Clackamas County residents living on floodplains can receive significant discounts on federal flood insurance programs, key federal and local resources, best practices for disaster planning, instructions to sign up to receive emergency communications via cell phone, and scientific information about our area’s unique situation.

Clackamas County is making Hazard Mitigation Coordinator Jay Wilson available to media outlets to discuss the videos and flooding preparedness.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with Wilson, media may contact Clackamas County Community Relations Specialist Dylan Blaylock at 503-742-5917 or dblaylock@clackamas.us